


The Real Boy!Figgy Compliation

by ShakespeareanHoneyBadgers



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-04
Updated: 2015-01-09
Packaged: 2018-01-11 03:45:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 4,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1168282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShakespeareanHoneyBadgers/pseuds/ShakespeareanHoneyBadgers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All of the fluffy adventures of "Mr. and Mrs. Gold"s kitten-turned-into-a-three-year-old in one place!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Small Adjustment

**Author's Note:**

  * For [riseandshinedearie](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=riseandshinedearie).
  * Inspired by [Mr. and Mrs. Gold](https://archiveofourown.org/works/749898) by [ShakespeareanHoneyBadgers](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShakespeareanHoneyBadgers/pseuds/ShakespeareanHoneyBadgers). 



Mr. Gold stared incredulously at his wife, “You’re telling me that our cat turned into a little boy?”

                Belle shrugged, “Stranger things have happened… Said so yourself magic is unpredictable here.”

“But to cause an ordinary cat to turn into a human? A human that functions as though it had been human its entire life nonetheless?”

“What do you want me to say, Rum? Want me to lie and tell you that I’m pulling your leg, that I found a toddler with yellow eyes and thought it would be funny to say it was Figgy?”

“Honestly, I’m hoping that’s the case.”

                He poked his head around the corner again, examining the little boy at the breakfast table. Belle had given him a bowl of Cheerios and he happily munched on them, legs swinging to and fro. Mr. Gold retreated with a sigh.

“Well I suppose we can’t kennel him now.”

                Belle stared at him in horror, “You were going to _kennel_ Figgy?”

“It’s not as if Cruella De Vil runs the place; he’d be fine.”

“He would not,” she growled venomously. Mr. Gold took a deep breath and stepped into the dining room.

                Nothing gave the boy away; not a tail or pointed ears or a purr slipping out. The only giveaway was his eyes, an inhuman yellow that did, in fact, look like their cat’s. He turned his head at the sound of the cane and beamed at Mr. Gold.

“Papa!” He exclaimed joyfully, scrambling down to go hug his leg.

                Mr. Gold feared for his emotions as his heart leapt at the title he longed to hold again.

**III**

                If they crossed the line they lost their memory. It was a crushing blow to the Golds as that new curse was discovered, another obstacle thrust in their way now that they were so close. Baelfire would have to wait indefinitely until they could find a spell or potion to allow them to cross over.

“Don’t worry, Papa, you’ll figure it out,” Figaro chirped, “You’re the smartest person I know.”

“Because you know so many people,” Mr. Gold said dryly.

                Figaro nodded eagerly, “I do! There’s the mean woman who smells like apples, the man with the evil four-legged beast, the boy kitten that Mama likes, the boy kitten’s mother…” Mr. Gold didn’t have the heart to stop the boy.

                Tomorrow they’d take their cat-turned-child shopping, get him clothes and toys and other necessities. And, no matter how convenient it was he didn’t mess himself, Belle had insisted he needed to be trained to use a toilet instead of going outside as usual. He wore one of Mr. Gold’s shirts for nightclothes, the sleeves flopping about and looking like he didn’t have any hands, the boy constantly tripping over it. He looked so tiny in the guest room bed, and Mr. Gold recalled a time Bae had seemed that small.

“…and then we’ll find Baelfire and I’ll have a big brother.”

                Mr. Gold stared at him, “How do you know about Bae?”

                Figaro giggled, “I listen, ‘course. Listen to you, listen to Mama… I just couldn’t talk back until now!”

                Mr. Gold watched him in amazement, and felt his resistance to the cat crumble. Really, what excuse did he have to continue to keep the boy at bay?

“Do you want to hear a bedtime story?” Mr. Gold inquired. Figaro’s eyes lit up and he quickly wiggled under the sheets, all of his attention on his “papa”.

                Belle came down to see what was taking her husband so long…only to witness him animatedly telling Figaro a bedtime story. She smiled, knowing soon he’d have Rumplestiltskin wrapped around his little fingers.


	2. Questionable Origins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When confronted with Real Boy!Figgy’s release to the public, bitchwhoyoukiddin commented: “I totally dare you to write the Charmings finding out about that ish.”

No one knew what to make of the fact that the Golds had gone from childless to a toddler that looked nothing like them in a single day…though no one brought it up to them. It was soon decided that the child must be the unfortunate price of a deal. Most left it at that…but not the Charmings. 

"There’s no "Figgy" or "Figaro" in Storybrooke, and no one’s missing a three year old with yellow eyes," Emma informed her parents, shaking her head and shoving her hands into her pockets, "No one’s speaking up if he does have a family." 

"Likely they’re either too afraid, or ashamed of the deal," David commented. 

The trio stood across the street from the Golds’ residence, watching the odd scene in front of them. The driveway had been cleared so a raven-haired boy could shoot hoops into a net hardly higher than Emma’s ribs. He darted around his little arena, sometimes remembering to dribble, sometimes losing the ball and pouncing it before it bounced too far away, occasionally trying to make a basket. He stooped over, tiny hands trying to see how low to the ground he could dribble the brand new basketball. 

Sitting on the sidelines, smiling in a (dare she think it?) gentle way, was Rumplestiltskin himself, his eyes never leaving the boy. The boy rose up very purposefully, faced the basket, wriggled his bum, and then threw the basketball with all his might towards the back board. 

It wasn’t even going to hit that much, it was obvious to see. And yet, with a small gesture of Mr. Gold’s hand, the ball corrected its course in an almost believable way and dunked into the net. Figaro squealed in joy. 

"Did you see, did you see?! I did it!" 

"Way to go, Figgy!" Mr. Gold cheered mildly. He soon had a lap full of squirming little boy, hugging him tightly as Figaro wrapped his arms around his neck. 

"Wow, look at those torture devices he’s using, and he’s clearly trying to strangle him," Emma said dryly, "Clearly this kid’s being abused." 

"It’s not about abuse, it’s about the fact he might’ve been taken from a family that loves and misses him," Mary Margaret reminded Emma. Emma glanced over as Mr. Gold got up, ruffling the boy’s hair before he went inside for a moment. Figaro stared after him, then went back to playing. 

The Charmings knew it was time to strike. 

Emma followed after her parents more out of necessity than desire, crossing the street. Figaro glanced up as they approached and beamed. 

"Hi!" He chirped, "I’m Figgy! Do you want to play ball with me? My papa got me this and it bounces real good. See?" He bounced it a few times for effect. 

Mary Margaret smiled, “That’s a very nice ball, Figgy,” she said, bending down to look him in the eye, “Where are your parents?” 

He pointed at the front door of the Golds’ house, “Papa’s seeing if Mama needs help with dinner,” he explained. 

"That’s very nice of him," Mary Margaret said, "Are your Mama and Papa visiting Mr. and Mrs. Gold?" 

Figaro scrunched up his face, “No…they’re inside. This is our den,” he said proudly. 

Emma was glad to see she wasn’t the only one confused. 

David bent down beside Mary Margaret, “Who are your Mama and Papa, Figgy?” He asked softly. 

Figaro frowned, “The masters of this house,” he insisted. 

The front door opened and Belle poked her head out, “Figgy, time to come in, dinner’s ready!” 

Figaro smiled, pointing at Belle, “That’s my Mama!” He declared. 

For a moment neither of the groups spoke. Mary Margaret and David got back to their feet, looking mildly embarrassed at being caught. 

"Can they eat with us too?" Figaro asked, "They want to know who my Mama and Papa are!" 

Belle bit her lip, lost in thought. Trying to explain the situation in the least crazy way possible. Mary Margaret and David tried to figure out how to ask their question tactfully. 

"Where’d you get the kid?" Emma said bluntly. 

Belle blushed, “Well um, you see…” 

"I was a cat," Figaro said, "But now I’m a boy!" 

They stared at Belle and she nodded, then shrugged, “Magic’s unpredictable here,” she said weakly, “And apparently a wave of it causes kittens to turn into little boys.” 

David took the news and just accepted it. Mary Margaret puzzled over it, then shook her head and chalked it up to just another oddity. Emma was rifling through her memories of the past few days, trying to figure out when the last time she’d seen Pongo was. 


	3. Un Petite Amor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mr. and Mrs. Gold swallow their pride and take their new son to the Blue Fairy to see if she can explain why he’s been turned into a boy.

There was something reassuring in the way Figaro reacted to the Blue Fairy, that even their sweet ex-kitten was inherently suspicious of one of the most powerful beings in the realms.

Mr. Gold and his wife stood nearby as Figaro sat on the current Mother Superior’s desk, just barely tolerating her examination.

"So what you’re saying is that Figaro was…transformed when magic was brought to this land?"

"It would appear so," Mr. Gold said tersely, "He was a cat before we left, and was a human when we returned." The Blue Fairy shot him a look but said nothing.

Belle folded her arms, “We just want to make sure he’s alright…healthy.” She insisted. The Blue Fairy pulled out her wand and Figaro tensed as she waved it around him… Though as Belle glanced over she noticed Figgy wasn’t the only one that was tense.

A quiet moment passed as she continued her examination, only broken by Figaro’s pouty whines. Finally she lowered her wand and Figaro lifted his arms up with a desperate “mama!”. Belle immediately crossed the short distance and scooped him up, resting him on her hip. Figaro cuddled into her and gave a garbled noise as if he was trying to purr.

"It’s rare, but not unheard of," Blue conceded, "A combination of circumstance and magic, to have something change its form."

"But _why_ did Figaro change?” Mr. Gold said exasperatedly, tired of the games.

She glanced at Figaro and gave the boy a small smile, which he returned by burying his face in Belle’s shoulder, “Sometimes a love is so powerful it transcends the form it was given; a puppet turned to flesh, velveteen turned to fur…”

"So you’re saying Figgy changed…because of how much he loves us?" Belle repeated.

The Blue Fairy shook her head, “It’s not often enough; with true love it takes not only one side…but two.” She glanced at Mr. Gold, “Possibly three.”

Belle looked down and Figaro glanced up at her, yellow eyes so trusting and patient. The same eyes that greeted her after a day at work, or watched her reading. And as strange as it seemed…she believed that true love was powerful enough to make this happen. With a little help from an ominous cloud of purple.

Figaro then turned to glance at Mr. Gold. Mr. Gold glanced at Belle and frowned, body language defensive. That stubborn man would go to his grave claiming he didn’t care about “the cat”, even when the evidence was right in front of them that he did just as much as she.


	4. High-Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ficlet: Mr. Gold and Real Boy!Figgy high-fiving

Figaro had observed the ritual of high-fiving early in his kitten days. The first time he had seen it it had been between his mama and Henry, after figuring something out in the notebook that she had a habit of carrying. He noticed that it was a gesture of celebration and accomplishment, as well as camaraderie. His mama had been ecstatic when he started giving them to her, and eagerly gave them back whenever she could.

His papa though… No matter how many times he held out his paw, no matter if he tapped indicatively on his hand, no matter if Mama pointed out what he was doing, he would not give him a high-five. It made Figaro sad, and slowly he began to realize that he must not find camaraderie with him as he hoped.

But Figaro was now Figaro Gold, a real boy with a mama and papa instead of a master and mistress. And every day he would strive to make them happy and proud, as he had done as a kitten.

"You did it! All by yourself, too," Mr. Gold happily exclaimed as Figaro managed to button all of the buttons of his new shirt without skipping any holes or mismatching them. Figaro wriggled excitedly, glad to make his papa so proud.

And then Mr. Gold held his hand up in a gesture that could mean nothing other than a high-five. Figaro became so excited he not only high-fived him multiple times, but with both hands, only stopping when Mr. Gold pulled him into a hug.


	5. Could Be Anything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ficlet: He never lost his love of boxes.

Mr. Gold knew the idiom of this world; give the kid a toy and they’ll want to play with the box. He supposed that went double for cats-turned-into-kids.

Figaro had shown interest in the play work bench Mr. Gold had brought home, but was more intrigued by the box. It soon became his new home, and he had to be bribed or wrestled out of it for anything.

On Monday, there was a stream of “vrooooooooooooom, vroomvroomvrooooooom”s, with him twisting something circular in his little hands.

On Tuesday, there was mildly explosive sounds coming from it, with Figaro trembling and shaking but staying put in one place. Belle was concerned until he explained that he was on a mission to see if the moon was made out of cheese.

On Wednesday, there was a lot of whooshing and propeller noises, his swim goggles firmly covering his eyes.

On Thursday, he invited his parents in to his mansion, which both Mr. and Mrs. Gold crammed themselves into. Figaro didn’t seem to notice that the adults were bending the walls, but that might’ve been because they had brought milk and cookies with them.

Belle watched her son sleep on Friday in his wilderness tent after a long day of making doodles of all of the new species he had found in the South ‘Rican forests. Mr. Gold came up behind her, wrapping his arm around her waist and kissing her forehead.

"He has his mother’s imagination," he murmured.

"And his father’s appreciation for the little things in life," she said. She glanced up at him, "…this doesn’t mean you get out of figuring out how to assemble the actual toy, though."

"I almost have it now," he said defensively, "…I just hope the box can maintain his interest for another day or two."


	6. Adventures in Babysitting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma agrees to babysit Figgy so Mr. and Mrs. Gold can have a date night and Figgy gives her an interesting greeting.

"Rum and my cell phone’s will be turned on-"  
  
"Belle."  
  
"-there’s a list of emergency numbers on the fridge-"  
  
"Belle."  
  
"Do not feed him after midnight-"  
  
"Belle!"  
  
The nervous Mrs. Gold finally paused in her rambling to see Emma staring blankly at her.  
  
"I’ve watched tons of kids before," she reminded her gently, "Maybe not ones that used to be cats but, yanno, still not the strangest thing I’ve done this week."

"We appreciate it," Mr. Gold said, shrugging on his jacket, "He’s pretty adjusted given the circumstances, but he still has his quirks. If he wants to go outside, let him and don’t follow. Conversely don’t let him go into the bathroom alone."

Emma stared at him, “So you’re telling me he’s not-“

"We’re working on it," Mrs. Gold murmured, "It’s been a lot of trial and error…"

"I can imagine," Emma murmured.

There was a thud from somewhere and then Figgy appeared, looking up at Emma. Emma gave him a partial smile, “Hey kid.”

"Figgy, you remember Em-" Figgy moved forward before Belle could finish her question.

Emma’s eyes bulged nearly out of her head as Figgy pressed himself against her leg, rolling his tongue in the closest he had figured out how to purr as a human. She stared helplessly as the boy rubbed up against her, though if Belle’s muffled giggles were any indication she wasn’t going to get help from her.

"Come on, Fig, leave the poor woman alone," Mr. Gold reprimanded gently, resting a hand on Figaro’s shoulder and tugging him away. The smile he gave Emma could have melted the coldest heart, and the savior found herself smiling back at him.

Mr. Gold wrapped an arm around Belle’s shoulder, “We’ll be back around ten.”

Belle, content that her son would be alright for a few hours, left to enjoy some alone time with her husband.


	7. Cat's Best Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Figgy goes along with Mr. Gold and Belle to test the memory potion.

Anxiety pulsed through Belle as they approached the town line. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust her husband; she trusted him immensely. But still, accidents happened, and Rumple’s memory was a hefty price.

But then again, if it meant finding Baelfire, how could they _not_ try?

Belle watched as Mr. Gold poured the memory-retaining potion over his wedding band, careful to soak every bit of it.

"…and this… This’ll be enough?" She asked nervously.

Mr. Gold smiled tensely, “Hopefully,” he glanced back, “Figgy, what _are_ you doing?”

The boy was pressed as hard as possible against the side of the Cadillac, glaring and baring his teeth across the street. They followed his gaze to see a thin black-and-white border collie watching Figaro with interest. Its coat was matted and she couldn’t spot a collar, but it didn’t look malevolent. Its tail wagged uncertainly as it sniffed towards Figaro, who let out a long growl that would’ve been quite intimidating if he was still a kitten.

"Silly boy," Belle chided, "Leave the poor dog alone."

"It’s not going _away_ ,” Figaro whined. Belle shook her head and turned back to Mr. Gold.

"…okay…"

Mr. Gold took a deep breath, “Here we go…”

He turned away from Belle and took the few strides towards the line. With only a slight hesitation, he crossed, and as soon as he was over magic overwhelmed his body.

Figaro tensed as the dog started walking towards him, its head lowered and its tail still wagging in that unsure manner.

"Go away!" Figaro shouted. The dog tilted its head, but continued its shy advance.

Mr. Gold turned around and Belle held her breath. He stared at her for a moment before smiling, “…Belle.”

She beamed at him and took his hand, squeezing it tightly, “You did it!” Mr. Gold nodded, smiling just as wide, “…now we can find our son.”

"NO!" Figaro screeched as the dog tried to lick him, batting its muzzle away, "GO AWAY!" Figaro ran away from the side of the car, out into the middle of the road.

Belle glanced over his shoulder as headlights suddenly came around the bend. The car wasn’t slowing…in fact the driver didn’t even seem to see them.

"Rumple!"

Figaro screamed as the dog lunged at him, headbutting his back as hard as it could.

Mr. Gold grabbed Belle and pulled both of them out of the way as the car rushed past. There was a sickening “thunk” and the car slammed on the brakes.

"Belle?!" Mr. Gold checked over his wife. Her eyes were locked on the car.

"…FIGGY!"

The boy started to scream. Belle sprinted, rounding the car and finding him sprawled out on the cement. She fell to her knees and scooped him up, relieved to see that he was fine. But his eyes were locked on the road a couple feet ahead of where the car had stopped. Belle glanced over to see why he was screaming.

The dog was sprawled out, its back end twisted grotesquely. Belle feared the worse until it twitched, shuddering softly. The sound of a car door opening and slamming shut seemed distant, and then she felt Mr. Gold’s hand on her shoulder.

"Is he alright?"

"He’s fine," Belle murmured.

The driver of the vehicle came around the front, staring in horror, “Oh my god, I am so sorry! Is that, is that…”

Figaro stared up at Mr. Gold, his screaming turning into sobs, “Papa you’ve gotta help her! Use your magic, papa, fix the dog!”

Mr. Gold glanced at the driver…an out-of-town stranger who was staring at him fearfully. He glanced at Belle who, while her face was full of understanding, she was also starting to cry.

"Papa!" Figaro’s voice climbed, nearly hysterical, "Magic! Magic, Papa, make her better!"

But he couldn’t.

III

His name was Greg Mendell, and that was just about all Mr. Gold took out of the idiot’s blubbering. He followed them to the vet’s and offered to pay the costs, but that didn’t keep Figaro from sobbing as Belle clung to him, as terrified as if it were Figaro they were waiting to hear about.

The veterinary assistant eventually came out, and Mr. Gold went back.

The dog was lying out on the counter, the only movement being her sides heaving. She had a oxygen mask over her muzzle, her back end in some sort of brace.

"It’s a fifty-fifty shot whether she’ll make it through the night." Mr. Gold glanced over as the vet entered, a young woman with her dark hair pulled back, "Even if she does, she’ll need physical therapy, pain medication… And she still may never walk right again."

Mr. Gold took a couple of steps closer, resting his hand on the dog’s shoulder. Her dark eyes flicked towards him.

"…what did she say?" He asked the vet.

But looking into her eyes, he already knew the answer.

III

It could have been Figaro. It could have been Figaro so easily. The words repeated themselves over and over in her mind as she held her baby boy close, smoothing his hair and ignoring the man who had hit the dog. She should have been paying closer attention… She shouldn’t have let him run out into the middle of the road like that.

Belle glanced up at the sound of the cane and Figaro straightened in her lap. Mr. Gold didn’t look up until he was closer, and even then looked only at Belle.

"…I’m sorry," he murmured. The tears that had subsided were starting anew but he spoke before they fell, "I should have discussed it with you beforehand about getting a dog."

Looking into the dog’s eyes, he had seen an indomitable will to live. He owed her for saving his son’s life, and a dog this noble deserved a home.

III

It was hard to imagine Figaro had ever hated the dog, the way he lit up the day they were finally able to bring her home. He put her new collar around her neck and “helped” the vet load her into the Cadillac. He rode home with the dog’s head in her lap, petting her and chatting up a storm.

"You’re going to love it! Our den is huge, and we have a big backyard for playing in, and so much food you’ll never go hungry! And Mama and Papa are really nice and they’ll love you and pet you and snuggle you and sometimes let you sleep in the bed… I’ll always let you sleep in my bed. I will take very good care of you, the best care, and we’re going to be best friends! We can go for walks and play in the park and take naps and eat…"

Mr. Gold and Belle exchanged a look and just smiled.

They pulled up to the house and Belle carefully helped the dog down. She was unsteady on her paws but slowly, carefully walked on her own. There was a noticeable limp but she seemed to have it handled. Figaro bounced out of the car and ran up to her.

"See, I told you it’s huge!" He exclaimed as the dog gazed up at the house.

Mr. Gold came up beside her, scratching her behind the ears, “Welcome home, Sadie.”

Sadie wagged her tail.


	8. Little Brother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neal meets Figgy at an inopportune time

Perhaps the first step in securing the pawnshop should have been locking the front door. It flew open just as Emma was about to stoop down to draw an invisible line.

"Mama, Papa!" The three-year-old whizzed into the shop, looking around excitedly, "Where is he?! Where’s my new big brother?!"

The three of them were confused for a moment, their mind preoccupied on anything but Figaro. Meanwhile Figaro glanced from one person to the next.

"Mama said that Papa was back! He went all the way to New York City to get me one!" His yellow eyes settled on the only face he didn’t recognize, "Are you my big brother?"

Neal was confused. His pops hadn’t mentioned a kid… Then again, between the anger and the not talking and the Hook attack there hadn’t been a whole lot of time. Neal smiled, bending down to the boy’s level.

"Yeah… I’m Neal," he said, holding his hand out.

Figaro tilted his head, “Mama said his name was Baelfire…”

"That’s my other name, I’ve got two names," he explained.

Emma, though she should be focusing on her task, couldn’t help but smile. Neal sucked at a lot of things, but he was good with kids…

"Where’s Mama and Papa?" He asked.

Neal grimaced, putting his hands on Figaro’s shoulders, “They’re in the back but… Papa got hurt really badly.”

"That’s okay, that’s what magic’s for!" Figaro said brightly.

His enthusiasm faded at Neal’s expression, “…magic can’t solve everything, kid,” he murmured.

Figaro glanced towards the doorway to the back room, “…Mama’s crying,” he said softly, then tried to pull away.

Neal’s grip tightened, “No, kid,  you can’t go back there.”

"Mama’s crying, I need to be with her!" Figaro insisted, continuing to struggle. Eventually he broke free and darted towards the back.

The trio stood helplessly by as he disappeared behind the curtain… And then listened to his scream as he found his papa lying on the cot, hardly having the strength to keep his eyes open.


End file.
